New from Cambridge University Press!

Sociolinguistics from the Periphery "presents a fascinating book about change: shifting political, economic and cultural conditions; ephemeral, sometimes even seasonal, multilingualism; and altered imaginaries for minority and indigenous languages and their users."

''I HAVE SO FAR FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT _POTIGUAYA_, _POTAGUAYA_ OR_POTACION DE GUAYA_ ARE IN FACT USED IN SPANISH. I WOULD BE INTERESTEDTOKNOW OF ANY EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF THESE EXPRESSIONS IS USED IN ANY VARIETYOF SPANISH. IF ANY OF THEM IS USED, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW THE MEANING.''

NONE OF THE REPLIES HAS CONFIRMED THE USE OF ANY OF THESE THREE VARIANTEXPRESSIONS IN SPANISH. PHILIP DURKIN EXPLAINS THE SOURCE OF THE OED'SETYMOLOGY: DAVID W. MAURER 'ARGOT OF THE UNDERWORLD NARCOTIC ADDICT' AMERICAN SPEECH11 (1936) 116-27: ''POTIGUAYA, MARAJUANA (SIC) LEAVES AFTER THE PODS HAVEBEEN REMOVED; CRUDE MARAJUANA''.

AMONG THE ALTERNATIVE IDEAS, SCOTT DELANCEY SUGGESTS THAT ''_POT_ ISMETONYMIC EXTENSION OF _TEA_, WHICH IS A WIDESPREAD TERM FOR CANNABIS (INTHE FORM OF DRIED LEAVES)''. DAVID DREWELOW SUGGESTS OTHER POSSIBLEMETONYMIES FROM E.G. A PIPE WITH A 'POT BOWL', OR MARIJUANA AS A 'POTTEDPLANT', OR 'DRUG POTS' FORHOLDING OR DRYING DRUGS, AND DRAWS TO MY NOTICETHAT NAHUATL _POCTLI_ MEANS 'SMOKE'.

SO FAR, THOUGH, NO DOCUMENTARY OR CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE POINTS TO ACHOICE BETWEEN THESE VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES, OR TOWARDS ANY OF THESE INPREFERENCE TO OTHER CONCEIVABLE OR ACTUAL SUGGESTIONS.

THE MYSTERY REMAINS.

MANY THANKS TO THOSE MENTIONED ABOVE AND TO DAMIEN HALL, LEE HARTMAN ANDOTTO CARSTEN